Public cynical about crime figures

Share

Guangzhou's crime rate continued to slide last month, with the number of muggings plunging 43.9 per cent year on year and break-ins down 28.1 per cent, police said.

But claims that streets were safer were disputed by some residents.

Guangzhou Public Security Bureau vice-director Qi Xiaolin said criminal prosecutions were down 16.2 per cent last month compared with the same period last year.

'We increased the number of police in communities and the [number of] security guards ... and that helps to improve our ability to protect residents from theft,' Mr Qi said. Guangzhou is planning to hire more than 3,500 extra neighbourhood security guards in two months and will have as many as 10,000 when the expansion plan is completed.

Zhong Jianping, secretary-general of the Guangzhou Communist Party Committee's political and legal commission, said more foreigners were committing crimes but the situation was not serious.

Wang Ruiyue , the director of a technology firm, said she had not noticed any difference in safety on the streets. 'Where I live in Clifford New Village, two houses were robbed last month. In my office block seven offices were broken into,' Ms Wang said.

Liu Liquan, who works for a property marketing company, said it appeared the crime rate had fallen but she was still afraid when walking the streets. 'In April, a colleague's home was broken into and a laptop computer, jewellery and 30,000 yuan cash were stolen. Another friend had her necklace snatched on the street on May 3.'